WELCOME TO POLITICO PRO’s Morning Health Care: Welcome back to work (or not). Lots of U.S. news here, so thanks to my colleagues across the way, Erin Mershon and Brianna Ehley, for contributions and Ellis Kim in Brussels for superb help.

— WHAT’S HAPPENING

GLIMMERS OF HOPE FOR ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH: Global research for treatments of Alzheimer’s— once considered a lost cause— is now being reinvigorated, as optimistic scientists and investors flock to an annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, D.C. this week. To recall, Biogen earlier this year reported positive trial results for one of its drugs; many are hoping that Eli Lilly’s massive clinical trial data release on Wednesday will signal an even bigger breakthrough in the fight against the brain disease. The FT reports: http://on.ft.com/1ebMl3G

AMGEN GETS FIRST APPROVAL IN CLASS FROM EU: The U.S. biotech giant has won approval for its first-in-class cholesterol drug Repatha, giving it a leg up over rivals Novartis and Regeneron, which are developing a similar drug. But watch out for the new pricing wars, as Reuters reports that the new class of drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors “are expected to cost much more than statins such as Pfizer Inc’s Lipitor.” http://reut.rs/1SziK1U

And speaking of pricey drugs …

NOVARTIS PROFIT DROPS, BUT CEO TALKS UP BLOCKBUSTERS: Novartis’ net profits fell 32 percent in the second quarter, but the CEO says potential blockbusters — including the $4,500 per year heart drug Entresto — can help turn things around. The FT reports: http://on.ft.com/1IjwXAk

ARE THEY WORTH IT? A Houston philanthropist is making a $5.2 million grant to a Boston nonprofit to get at the answer to the question, the WSJ reports. Research from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review is already being used by drug plan managers to get better deals on pharmaceuticals. Among the first to look at: new pricey cholesterol drugs. Will Europe follow? http://on.wsj.com/1gL8KXu

AND INDUSTRY PUSHES BACK: The U.S. FDA may approve a new cholesterol-lowering medicine this week, and the U.S. drugmaker lobby is getting out ahead of potential cost concerns with a series of blog posts highlighting that the costs of treating patients won’t be as unsustainable as payers have claimed. Says PhRMA: “The fact is these new medicines will supplement — not replace — existing treatment options and will address a significant unmet medical need in a small subset of people.” The full blog post: http://onphr.ma/1GxxY0j

— CAPITAL REPORT

U.K. PATIENTS NOT AT EASE WHEN LEAVING HOSPITAL: A report from consumer watchdog Healthwatch England finds in a survey of nearly 3,500 patients or their loved ones that nearly 20 percent were dissatisfied with how they were treated and discharged in the country’s hospitals. Read more here: http://bit.ly/1Khnr17

U.K. Dept. of Health released a whole bunch of documents on its site. Here are a few:

DRUGMAKERS SPEND BIG ACROSS THE POND: Our colleagues report that industry’s main U.S. lobbying arm PhRMA spent $4.8 million in the most recent quarter, over $500,000 more than this time last year — and for good reason. It’s been in the middle of a slew of issues in Congress, pushing the 21st Century Cures legislation, negotiations for favorable trade policies and fighting off changes to the patent system. Biotech trade group BIO showed a similar spike in spending, as did individual companies: Merck, Glaxosmithkline, Eli Lilly, Genentech and quite a few others all spent more in the most recent quarter than they did in the same quarter the year prior. http://politico.pro/1DqUs34

END OF LIFE HOPE: The U.S. Medicare program for the elderly and disabled is expanding a pilot project to let seriously ill patients receive hospice care, while also getting access to potentially life saving treatments. Prior to the change, patients had to make the stark choice between the two. http://on.wsj.com/1OrLJnz

— GLOBAL BUGS

SOME OPTIMISM FOR EBOLA VACCINES: Early-stage trials for Novavax’s experimental Ebola vaccine showed positive results, drawing high rates of immunity responses among testers, the biopharmaceutical company said Tuesday. Other companies developing similar vaccines are in mid-stage trials, though, Reuters reports: http://reut.rs/1gMyiU7

SOUTH KOREA EYES RETURN TO NORMAL: Two Korean airline companies announced on Tuesday that they would return to normal flight schedules in early August, after slowing down operations during South Korea’s MERS coronavirus outbreak: http://reut.rs/1CTAumz

— KEY DOCS

Guidance on how to re-manufacture medical devices originally intended for single use, from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency: http://bit.ly/1GyCuf2

The EMA announces the opinion adopted by its Pediatric Committee revising the current list of class waivers for medicines for which no pediatric investigation plan is required.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The Commission is organizing a second conference on European Reference Networks October 8 through 9, hosted by the public health ministry in Lisbon, Portugal. Who’s going? Government, private sector, experts and other decision-makers. More here: http://bit.ly/1EhkZPf